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Plantain is a very quick coloniser when the sward is opened up following rattle's reduction of grasses, due to its prolific seeding and relative immunity to the parasitation of rattle. Cat's ear is also quite a quick coloniser and adds colour. The growth of other plants will depend on their presence...

Buff-tip moth

No noticeable difference in rattle growth to usual here on Dartmoor, but it was a very dry spring, so I guess it's possible that on a sloping chaulky site, dry soil may have hindered rattle germination/growth, as being one of the few annuals in grassland it has shallow roots compared to other plants...

@Phlugg If you're only grazing until winter, there's a chance that grass growth in early spring is preventing rattle germination - the sward has to be VERY short at the time of germination. I'd also be surprised if sheep are able to graze a meadow down sufficiently - generally they don't like eating...

Greg - here is our talk on conservation grazing:

Out of interest I asked about the provenance of the seed/trees and was told "All DCC tree schemes administered within the Natural Environment Team are of UK and Ireland Sourced and Grown provenance (Woodland Trust UKISG certified)"

Apparently Knepp control ragwort within 50m of their boundary, as per the law: https://knepp.co.uk/injurious-weeds-policy/

I haven't seen that many butterflies ALL summer here on Dartmoor!

Valto63 - there is an abundance of grass in everyone's meadows at the moment due to - 1. the very wet spring and summer, 2. the fact that yellow rattle plants die mid-late June, and therefore the grass is no longer being parasitised. Was your sward short in spring? newinvention - in my experience ha...